PM mourns 'Butch' Stewart's passing

THE PRIME Minister took to his Facebook account on Tuesday to pay tribute to Jamaican business magnate and owner of the Sandals resorts chain Gordon "Butch" Stewart, who died in the United States on Monday at 79.

Stewart's death leaves a great void throughout the Caribbean, Dr Rowley wrote.

"He was a special person, energetic, innovative, design-driven, customer-focused, and always in pursuit of creating a space in which the region could be cited in the modern world."

News of Stewart's death came in a press release issued by his son Adam, who described his father's passing as "almost unbelievable."

Rowley spoke of how pleased he was to have interacted with Stewart, adding that his thoughts "certainly left an impact on me."For me, what is lasting is that he never made the mistake about leadership. He never saw it in the sense of power, but about helping others to become better persons," Rowley wrote.

"His legacy, as I see it, should be that he built an international brand, by giving trust, encouragement and congratulations, when required, to others, helping them to find their own way in their lives, and the world."

He said Stewart's death was a great loss for the region and expressed deepest condolences to the Stewart family "and our Jamaican brothers and sisters on the loss of this Caribbean man of whom we are all proud."

Stewart, who was popular in his native Jamaica and was awarded the Order of Jamaica, built resorts in seven Caribbean islands, with a reputation for luxury.

The Sandals chain was expected to expand to Tobago, but pulled out in 2019, saying extensive local criticism of the project threatened the brand’s reputation.

Stewart's son described his father in the release as a marketing genius and talented showman.

“My dad lived a big life – husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, entrepreneur, statesman, dreamer. A singular personality and an unstoppable force who revelled in defying the odds, exceeding expectations, and whose passion for his family was matched only by the people and possibility of the Caribbean, for whom he was a fierce champion.”